Mass near the tomb of St. Peter

For the second time in my life, and for the first time by myself, I was able to celebrate Mass with good friends in the Vatican Grotto this morning at the Chapel of the Beata Virgine Bocciata. I had a reservation for Mass this morning, but when I arrived at the sacristy at 7:00am, I was informed that the 7:15am Mass was reserved for a Fr. Guiseppe. I tried to get the chapel anyway, thinking they had accidentally canceled or changed my reservation, but when I arrived at the stairs leading to the Grotto with my group, I was turned away and assigned to another chapel on the main level of St. Peter's. Because I had a 20 minute wait to use the chapel of St. Michael on the main floor, I returned to the sacristy and then found that I had the 8:00am reservation at the aforementioned chapel. My missal and Mass kit were taken away from me (but not my vestments!) and I returned to the basilica to wait until closer to 8:00am for my scheduled Mass. When I returned to the sacristy at 7:45am, I was told that Fr. Giuseppe never arrived, so my Mass was ready to go. Then, on my way to the chapel, a seminarian asked me if I could renew the wedding vows of a couple from Philadelphia. I said sure, now knowing that they had five small children with them who would be crying throughout our private Mass at the chapel in the Grotto. Well, a little unnerved by the uncertainty of when my Mass was supposed to start, coupled with little time to prepare in a new environment, and my unexpected guests, and the gravity of celebrating Mass so close to the tomb of St. Peter, one could say easily that I was quite nervous and it was hard to concentrate and to say a good Mass. If you've never been to the Vatican grotto, there are chapels quite close to each other and many Masses being said early in the morning, so it was also unnerving to be able to hear every word of a english Mass nearby that was on the same pace we were. Eventually I slowed down our Mass so that it wouldn't seem like we were racing each other. All in all, it was still a great experience and a very prayerful one with friends. While we were in the Grotto we were able to say a quick prayer at the tomb of John Paul II. After Mass we had a quick espresso and croissant, followed by a two hour tour of the Vatican excavations under St. Peter's (scavi tour). It was a magnificent tour once again and one is really captivated by the story of the finding of St. Peter's bones in the 20th century and the difficulties surrounding the excavation projects. We returned to the hotel after the Scavi, our faith greatly strengthened, and had a lunch near the Westin Excelsior before heading to the Colosseo. We paid extra for a tour that was somewhat of a racket, but we did get a few laughs from our tour guide, along with the standard hogwash of the Vatican 'stealing' 1600 year old marble from the Colosseo to build St. Peter's. We walked through the ancient Roman forum and then were able to visit St. John Lateran, to pray the Scala Sancta (the transposed steps that Jesus ascended en route to his judgment by Pontius Pilate) and then a trip to Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major). This was followed by a quick visit at dusk to St. Maria en Transtevere, the oldest Marian Church in Rome. The evening ended with a splendid cocktail hour, an extended dinner, and nightcaps back at the hotel. What a full and splendid day! Ad majorem gloriam Deam! +m